‘Hitchcock’ to open AFI Film Festival

“Hitchcock,” the Fox Searchlight drama starring Anthony Hopkins as the iconic director, will open AFI Fest 2012 on Nov. 1 with a gala at Hollywood’s historic Chinese Theatre.

Directed by Sacha Gervasi, the film is based on Stephen Rebello’s book “Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho” and chronicles the behind-the-scenes action of the groundbreaking 1960 movie.

The film also stars Helen Mirren as Hitchcock’s wife, Alma Reville, Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles and James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins, with Toni Collette, Danny Huston and Michael Stuhlbarg also appearing.

“Alfred Hitchcock’s signature style has made him one of the most influential directors in the world,” said festival director Jacqueline Lyanga in a statement. “This film pulls back the curtain and takes us behind-the-scenes of his lifelong collaboration with his wife Alma during the making of his 1960 masterpiece ‘Psycho’ – it’s the perfect film to welcome our audience of movie-lovers with an opening night.”

The festival had previously announced that its closing-night film will be the world premiere of Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” on Nov. 8.

[For the Record, 10:15 a.m. Sept. 27: A previous version of this post misspelled Scarlett Johansson’s name as Scarlet Johansson.]

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